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​1980 Alumni Achievement Awards

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John P. DieselBSIE'51Alumni Achievement Award

John P. Diesel is president and a director of Tenneco Inc., a multi-industry firm with major operations and interests in oil, natural gas pipelines, construction and farm equipment, automotive components, chemicals, shipbuilding, packaging, agriculture and land management.

After service with the U.S. Navy in World War II, he attended Washington University, and was graduated in 1951 with a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering.

Mr. Diesel joined Tenneco in 1972 as president of Newport News Shipbuilding after more than 20 years' experience in industrial engineering, manufacturing and management. He came to Tenneco from a position as group vice president for A.O. Smith Corp. of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. During his 10 years with A.O. Smith, he also served as director of manufacturing and engineering and as vice president of manufacturing and planning.

As Newport News Shipbuilding, Mr. Diesel was named to the additional post of chief executive officer in 1973 and from 1976 through 1978 served as the Shipyard's chairman and chief executive officer.

He was elected an executive vice president and a director of Tenneco Inc. in 1976, and was promoted to president on October 7, 1979.

Mr. Diesel holds board memberships in numerous trade and maritime organizations and educational institutions and is active in several professional societies and civic organizations. He is a director of Pullman Incorporated.

Don A. FischerBSEE'32Alumni Achievement Award

Don A. Fischer of Laguna Beach, California, operates his own patent consultant business which he established in 1964. In addition to consulting on patents, he serves as an expert witness for many local and national corporations.

Mr. Fischer received his B.S. Degree in Electrical Engineering in 1932, and in 1935 his L.L.B. from the School of Law of Washington University.

After graduation from law school he joined Fairbanks, Morse & Co., and later Eilers and Scaumberg, both of St. Louis, as a Patent Attorney until 1941 when he returned to Washington University as an Instructor in Electrical Engineering. He continued his relationship with Washington University until 1964 when he established his own firm.

In 1946 he was promoted to Assistant Professor Electrical Engineering and in 1948 he was made Assistant Dean of the School of Engineering. He started the course in Electrical Measurements and its associated laboratory. Between 1948 and 1954 he continued as Assistant Dean and was named Chairman of the newly formed Dept. of Industrial Engineering. He started the first computer center on the Washington University campus. In 1954 he became Dean of the School of Engineering. From 1956-1960 he held the rank of Professor of Industrial Engineering and from 1960-1964, the rank of Professor of Engineering Science.

Mr. Fischer is a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers and the American Society for Engineering Education.

Philip I. SitemanBSCE'18Alumni Achievement Award

Philip L. Siteman is currently president of Site Oil Company, an independent gasoline organization now operating in eighteen states.

After being awarded the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at Washington University in 1918, Mr. Siteman joined C.E. Smith and Company where he was engaged in survey and building design.

In 1922, with the assistance of Prof. Sweetzer, his Civil Engineering professor at Washington University, he organized Siteman and Cooper. This consulting engineering firm was made up of many Washington University engineering graduates recommended by Sweetzer.

He then founded Siteman Construction Company, and from 1924 until 1945 this firm was active first in construction of highways, bridges, sewers and street paving and then in buildings of all types. Mr. Siteman organized Site Oil Company in 1930.

He founded Sigma (Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America) in 1946, became its first president and served two additional terms. He is currently a director. He organized the St. Louis chapter of Technion (Israel's Institute for Technology) and served three years as its president. He is now its chairman emeritus.

Mr. Siteman has been the recipient of numerous awards for his service to free enterprise and independent gasoline marketing, including the 1972 Independent Gasoline Marketers Award, the Albert Einstein Award from Technion and Sigma's 1970 Sigma Award.